| 39 |
#Kulduhar Several refugees came by the Hooked Knucklehead with a proposal. Many fed-up, homeless, or otherwise desperate Dalefolk were considering a pilgrimage to Kuldahar, a druidic settlement in the Spine of the World whose massive tree, the Great Oak, spreads warmth to the small village. Around a hundred people were looking to make the journey and wished the heroes to serve as guides and protection. They had little to offer, but perhaps the druids or Great Oak itself may provide resources to the heroes. |
| 39 |
#battle #Kulduhar The party left with a caravan of a hundred refugees to Kuldahar. On the fourth day, guiding people through the ravines and foothills of the Spine of the World, they realized they were literally on thin ice. Moving carefully to prevent cracking and soaking in icy waters, they took their time. Problems arose when two coldlight walkers and a pair of crag cats attacked from the cliffs on either flank. The treacherous terrain made for a difficult fight, several Dalefolk not making it. Still they pushed on. The valley of Kuldahar was not much further ahead. |
| 18 |
#ChardalynCaper #ADuergarPlot The two standing duergar were coerced into talking. The mind master that the party just killed was named Durth Sunblight. He was one of the remaining sons of Xardorok Sunblight, a duergar lord with a mountain fortress in the Spine of the World. The duergar race, known for having lived in the Underdark for centuries, were descendants of dwarves turned grim and having developed psionic abilities after eons of influence by mind flayer colonies. Xardorok's intent is to bring his people to the surface, raze Ten Towns, and establish a footprint for his own people to live in the dim twilight of Icewind Dale. He has dispatched two of his sons, Durth and Nildar Sunblight, to scout ahead. Durth is now dead, and Nilder is in charge of an outpost on the eastern face of Kelvin's Cairn. The stolen chardalyn from East Haven Town Hall was meant to be hauled back to Sunblight Fortress to be forged into siege weaponry. After confessing, the two duergar made a getaway, narrowly avoiding an axe to their necks as they turned invisible and bolted. |
| 18 |
#ADuergarPlot Crank took out Durth Sunblight's missive to his brother Nildar and handed it to Captain Arlaggath. The party explained what they learned about the duergar during the encounter on the ferry. The speaker and the captain took the threat seriously, remarking that rumors of duergar have been brewing. Reghed Nomads and Goliath trading parties have brought stories to Easthaven of scorched swathes of tundra in the foothills of the Spine of the World. Speaker Waylen mulled over his need to discuss the Duergar threat at the next Council of Speakers, typically at the end of the month. The next slated date is the 30th of Uktar, but Waylen expressed a desire to push for an earlier meeting. He urged the party to deliver their report at this next meeting to notify the speakers if there are any new sightings - for the safety of Ten Towns. In order to remain in touch, Speaker Waylen secured a sending stone for the adventurers. |
| 14 |
#TheMeadMustFlow The cave system hosted a burial chamber for an ancient indigenous tribal chieftain of Icewind Dale's past. Pictograms depicted the clan's journey across the Spine of the World, a clash with giants, and the powers of a lightning infused weapon. Opening the sarcophagus, the party found a Pearl of Power and Javelin of Lightning in the hands of the female chieftain's skeleton. Taking the items cursed Azgul, imposing a severe lethargy, though returning them to the skeleton recovered the condition. Eventually, Tetro and Crank picked up the two items respectively and sluggishly followed the party as they explored the final chamber of the cave. |
| 13 |
#TheMeadMustFlow The opposition to Olivessa Untapoor was a relative newcomer to the village, a brusque red-haired dwarf and logger named Shandar Froth. Shandar had relocated to Good Mead only a couple years back from Mirabar, a wealthy mining city south of the Spine of the World. The party found him near the logging lodges, and, while gruff, Shandar put his foot down that he is running because he needs to... and that the town needs a leader too, damnit. The insightful Tetro felt there was truth to his words, but that a bit more remained unsaid. |
| 12 |
#TheSignal Amidst talking about the Spine of the World, a ping rang out in Tetro's head. "Find us!" it said. |
| 01 |
The party began travel from Luskan, south of the Spine of the World, to Icewind Dale. They were being guided along Ten Road, which has become increasingly treacherous, by guides from the Luskan Deliverers. |
| 01 |
Nearing Icewind Dale and cresting the Spine of the World, the skies progressively darkened until all that was felt was the darkness of winter. |